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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · key · degree · mug · stand · lie · mate · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. degree — temperature
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. degree — from a university
  6. game — a match
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mate — to breed
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rule — government
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com